Student wins hackathon after devising app to help people with learning disabilities
A third-year computing student from Glasgow Caledonian University has won a prestigious technology competition after creating a groundbreaking app to help people with learning disabilities share their views.
Adam Bowie and his six-strong team triumphed at this year's JP Morgan Chase Code for Good Hackathon, a coding marathon where student developers race against the clock to build technology solutions for charities and non-profit organisations.
The team was challenged to create a system for Camphill Blair Drummond, a Scottish charity that provides residential care and activities for people with learning disabilities. The organisation needed a way to gather feedback from residents, many of whom are non-verbal, and present this information clearly to inspectors and other outside bodies.
Working through the night over the competition weekend, Adam focused on designing the visual interface of the application while his teammates built the technical infrastructure behind the scenes. The finished product uses artificial intelligence to analyse feedback and generate detailed summaries, making it easier for carers to understand and act upon residents' responses.
Adam, who is studying for a BSc in Computing, said: "I was particularly proud that judges singled out the app's accessibility features for praise. I was so committed to getting these elements right that I woke at four o'clock on the final morning to add the finishing touches. This is my first-ever hackathon victory and it's a dream come true after months of preparation honing my technical skills through summer coding projects."
Dr Dawn Carmichael, Programme Leader for BSc Computing, said she was absolutely delighted for Adam and the team: "This is a fantastic achievement that reflects not only their technical skill but also their commitment to making a positive real-world impact.”
The JP Morgan Chase Code for Good event brings together student developers from across the country to work on technology challenges submitted by charities and social enterprises, providing both valuable experience for participants and practical solutions for organisations that might otherwise struggle to afford custom-built software.